Comment from Don Foster: Trade Justice Movement’s Mass Lobby of Parliament (19/06/02)
Bath MP Don Foster today met with a Christian Aid delegation which is joining with the Trade Justice Coalition to lobby Parliament this Wednesday.

Don Foster has received over 200 postcards asking the Government and all MPs to reform world trade so that it works in the interests of all people - protecting the environment and eradicating poverty.
This mass lobby of parliament will be the biggest ever lobby on this issue.
Don Foster comments: “World trade rules should be dramatically reformed for the simple reason that over one billion people are living in desperate poverty. For decades, their countries’ economies have been stifled by biased trade rules that favour the world’s richest nations.
“My definition of globalisation definitely doesn’t include the covert colonialism entailed in high tariff barriers, subsidies that flood the global market with surpluses, and unstable, artificially depressed commodity prices.
“If we don’t change the rules, future generations will be looking back on ‘Globalisation’ as the ‘New Colonialism’.
“The WTO needs to do more to promote fair competition. That includes strengthening international action against the growing concentration of powerful corporate monopolies that build their success on their exploitation of cheap labour.
“World-wide, if WTO members agreed to reduce subsidies common to areas such as fossil fuel production and agriculture, that would open markets to poorer countries’ exports, boost their economies and reduce environmental damage.
“The WTO referees global trade and we do need it to ensure impartial, fair competition in the global arena. But the playing field of trade relations should have been levelled years ago.
“The Liberal Democrats are determined to keep campaigning to establish a firm, fair foundation for world trade.”

ENDS.

Notes to Editors:

• A copy of the report commissioned by Oxfam can be found at www.maketradefair.com.

• The official launch of this campaign is Thursday evening at the Royal United Service Institute, Whitehall.

• Oxfam plans to hold a stall on Abbey Churchyard on Saturday, 4 May, in order to publicise this campaign locally, and Don Foster MP will be going along at lunchtime to meet supporters of the campaign.

ENDS.